Sentence Structure
Wait now, what’s a sentence?
1
subject
the person, place, or
thing performing or
doing the action
2
verb
the action
3
complet
e idea
the reader isn't left
waiting for another
word
Subject-Verb Agreement
• Subject verb agreement
simply means the subject
and verb must agree in
number. This means both
need to be singular or
both need to be plural.
Ex: My brother is a
nutritionist. My sisters
are mathematicians.
Subject/Verb Agreement Examples
• Here are some more examples
of subject verb agreement (the
subject is bolded and the verb
underlined):
• My dog always growls at the
postal carrier.
• Basketballs roll across the floor.
• I don’t understand the
assignment.
• These clothes are too small for
me.
• John doesn’t like vegetables.
Types of Sentences
•
•
•
•
Declarative sentence
Imperative sentence
Interrogative sentence
Exclamatory sentence
Declarative Sentence
• A declarative sentence simply
makes a statement or expresses
an opinion. In other words, it
makes a declaration. This kind of
sentence ends with a period.
• Examples of this sentence type:
• “I want to be a good
writer.” (makes a statement)
• “My friend is a really good
writer.” (expresses an opinion)
Imperative Sentence
• An imperative sentence gives
a command or makes a
request. It usually ends with a
period but can, under certain
circumstances, end with an
exclamation point.
• Examples of this sentence
type:
• “Please sit down.”
• “I need you to sit down now!”
Interrogative Sentence
• An interrogative sentence asks
a question. This type of
sentence often begins with
who, what, where, when, why,
how, or do, and it ends with a
question mark.
• Examples of this sentence type:
• “When are you going to turn in
your writing assignment?”
• “Do you know what the
weather will be tomorrow?”
Exclamatory Sentence
• An exclamatory sentence is a
sentence that expresses great
emotion such as excitement,
surprise, happiness and anger,
and ends with an exclamation
point.
• Examples of this sentence type:
• “It is too dangerous to climb
that mountain!”
• “I got an A on my book report!”
• http://www.pinterest.com/pin/246994360
789322270/
Sentence Fragments
• Recognize the difference between a sentence
and a fragment.
• When you analyze a group of words looking
for the main clause, you have to find three
things: a subject, a verb, and a complete
thought.
• If one of these three items is missing, we have
a sentence fragment.
Examples
• And yawned loudly enough to make everyone
in class turn around.
• Subject = Ø ; verb = yawned; complete
thought = Ø.
• After Gabriel ate half a box of Fruit Roll-Ups.
• Subject = Gabriel; verb = ate; complete
thought = Ø.
• When a sentence fragment occurs, we are left
wondering.
Sentence or Fragment?
• http://www.youtub
e.com/watch?v=PW
0N1hbFsn8
Run-on Sentences
• A RUN-ON SENTENCE
(sometimes called a
"fused sentence") has
at least two parts,
either one of which can
stand by itself (in other
words, two
independent clauses),
but the two parts have
been smooshed
together instead of
being properly
connected
How to Correct
• Run-on sentence: I am a woman I am a truck driver.
• Options:
• 1. If you want to completely separate the two fused sentences, then you'd
use a period: I am a woman. I am a truck driver.
2. If you want to keep more of a connection between the two thoughts, you
could use a semicolon and write, I am a woman; I am a truck driver.
3. If you want to make more of a comment on the connection between the
two sentences, then you could use a conjunction with a comma. For
example, you could write, I am a woman, and I am a truck driver, or you
could write, I am a woman, yet I am a truck driver.
4. If you wanted to get fancy, you could use a conjunctive adverb with a
semicolon and a comma: I am a woman; nevertheless, I am a truck driver.